A recent article reveals the unbiblical nature of the false authority paradigm embraced by much of the church today...

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On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, "Let us go across to the other side." And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?"And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, "Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?" And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?" -- Mark 4: 35-40 (ESV)

https://charismamag.com/spirit/spiritual-growth/33703-a-powerful-strategy-of-freedom-don-t-bother-jesus

It is the sin that is older than mankind itself. It is the sin that caused God to cast Lucifer out of heaven along with a third of the angelic host. Satan then used that same sin temptation to lure Eve into the fall of man. The devil doesn't change his playbook much because he does not have to. Man inherently wants to be God. The problem is the job is filled and the throne is occupied. Lucifer wanted to ascend to His throne. He convinced Eve that she too would be like God, knowing good and evil. Essentially those who refuse to place their faith in Christ have decided to be their own god. So it has gone for millennia and will continue to go on until Jesus comes back. This simple concept can be easily applied to every false teaching infiltrating the church today. The prosperity gospel for example, ignores the teachings of Christ regarding money and the love thereof, thus insisting that we know better. One of the perks of being your own god is you set your own rules. The word faith heresy literally usurps the power of verbal creation from God! People like Creflo Dollar, Myles Munroe, Paula White and Joyce Meyer all teach that we are in fact "little gods." So it should come as no surprise that the various Charismatic heresies such as the NAR, false signs and lying wonders as well as the aforementioned word faith all are based heavily in this age old sin. One of the underlying facets of the teaching is a false authority paradigm. Structured like a traditional pyramid scheme, the Charismatic church, purpose driven and seeker friendly growth theories all rely upon this scheme. At the higher levels it has to do with spiritual abuse and bullying. It also provides cover for false teachings in that you are propped up by the "authority" you sit under. One example is the wildly false prophetess Jennifer Leclaire is under the "covering" of false prophet James Goll. Leclaire in turn sells her covering to newbie false prophets for a paltry $400 per year. The teaching at the lower levels however deals with instructing the average Christian that they have godly authority that is contained nowhere in Scripture. When that authority does not amount to expected change -- people are hurt and damaged. So let us reason together as we review this line of faulty thinking as displayed in a recent article by John Burton, linked above, entitled: "A Powerful Strategy of Freedom: Don't Bother Jesus."

"I love listening to sermons, and then listening to the Holy Spirit as he develops further revelation for me. My pastor delivered a powerful sermon this morning here in my home town of Branson, Missouri. This article, while different than what I heard this morning, is a result of God's anointing on his life and on the teaching he brought." -- John Burton

I normally would gloss past this clear enough opening except for the misuse of the word anointing. This is a core misunderstanding within charismatic circles and it plays into the abusive authority paradigms they wield. For example, recently I had someone I have known for ten years email me to say I had an "antichrist spirit" speaking out of me because I had chosen to speak against "God's anointed." The anointed preacher in question is rabid heretic Joyce Meyer. The anointing in biblical terms was reserved for would be kings. Yes there are some verses in the New Testament that refer to being anointed but first of all, it is not reserved for one special group of Christians:

But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. -- 1John 2: 20 (ESV)

The "you" in this verse are believers, not preachers. The anointing is one of understanding, based upon the indwelt Holy Spirit and the fact that He leads us into all truth, contained in the Word of God. Now, even though the anointing in New Testament terms refers to the unction of the Holy Spirit there are those set aside for the teaching gifts. It is not incorrect to state that they have a teaching anointing. My former pastor clearly had an anointing for evangelizing for example. That does not mean however that they are elevated above the congregation because of this anointing and in fact should result in more humility rather than authority. Modern day Charismania has morphed the anointing into some mystical state of being that is simply not supported in the Bible. Preachers and teachers of the Word are due double honor and will be held to a higher standard of judgment. It is a sobering burden to bear, not some catapult for exercising authority over people. Burton continues:

'"Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?" (Mark 4:40) When I consider going to God with my issues, concerns, troubles, needs and other personal trials, I first ask myself a question. Is God going to respond to me by asking, "Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?" It's quite possible that I should not bring my issue to God at all.' -- John Burton

So we now have the premise. We will get into the exegesis of this text in a moment but the mere notion that there are things we are not bring to God at all is biblically absurd and unbelievably arrogant and carnal. The issue is not whether God will respond why are you fearful but whether or not you actually are fearful. Even if you choose to not bring it to God you will remain fearful. You will remain faithless in that scenario. We continue:

"I realize that God loves it when we pray, and there are many types and ways to pray that are applicable for various situations, but I have learned to consider my heart condition and motive behind the prayer. Both matter. It's extremely easy to function from a place of doubt when we consult with God. It's common, for example, to doubt our needs will be met, and this can manifest through prayer, hoping that God does something to remedy our situation. While it's good to have any sort of conversation with God, we also need to know that his response will be tied closely to our faith that's connected to our prayer." -- John Burton

Let me assure Mr. Burton that he need not worry about the condition of his heart in prayer. It is wickedly deceitful in prayer and out of prayer. Motivations should be examined but not to determine if there is doubt. God does not dismiss us if there is doubt. The human condition is to doubt, especially when dealing with spiritual matters we cannot tangibly see. In fact what Burton is intimating runs contrary to what God wants. He wants us to bring Him our doubts and our fears. His Word can then comfort us and build our strength. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God. There is also nothing wrong with petitioning the Lord in prayer. In Gethsemane Jesus Himself petitioned the Lord to remove the cup He was facing on the cross. Like Jesus we need to realize that our petitions need to end with not our will but Yours be done. Burton continues:

"Let's look at the entirety of the well-known passage in Mark 4: 35-41. Don't Bother Jesus. The obvious thing for Christians to do when in a time of trouble is to go to God. I want to propose you may have more success at times by not going to God. If you are in relationship with him, and are living a life of overcoming faith, and you know your authority, it's not necessary to have a consultation with God every time you have to make a decision or every time the going gets tough. Quite often, the correct step is to refuse to bother Jesus. He was asleep on the boat in the midst of the storm--and he should have been left alone. This principle is true for us today as well. Many of us have a habit of attempting to shake God awake to our situation, and instead of him resolving the problem, he asks, "Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?" The correct thing to do would then be to resolve the situation ourselves!" -- John Burton

I want to propose that this is ridiculous. Did you notice the subtle turn here though? Exactly what do we have overcoming faith in beloved? The answer is God, specifically through His written Word. What is it that John Burton is selling here that our overcoming faith is rooted in? Knowing our authority. Instead of our faith being in God it has shifted to being in ourselves. The oldest sin emerging clearly. Things suddenly changed in your life? Don't bother Jesus with it. Fearful of some impending calamity? It's not necessary to consult God. Before you say those are extreme examples remember that is exactly what the disciples were facing in the passage from Mark's Gospel. There is no principle that says leave Jesus alone beloved. There is zero indication in the text, which are the key verses today, that it is teaching Jesus should have been left alone. Let us exegete this story correctly.

The backstory is pretty straightforward. The disciples were out on the water when a windstorm arose and threatened to swamp their boat and quite possibly kill them. By the time they panicked, the boat was already filling up with water and the waves were breaking over it. Jesus amazingly was asleep through all of this. The disciples awoke Him by accusing Him of not caring if they perished. Here is the exposition from Gill:

And they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? The disciples came to him and jogged him, and awoke him out of sleep; saying, Master, arise, and save us, or we are lost: hast thou no concern for us? how canst thou lie sleeping here, when we are in such danger? are our lives of no account with thee? is it a matter of no moment with thee, whether we are saved or lost? They seem to say this, not so much praying and interrogating, as complaining and reproving. -- Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Burton's mistake is equating this rebuke of Christ as "prayer." Is Jesus upset that they woke Him? No. He is upset that they allowed their fear and lack of faith to affect how they viewed God. That after seeing the great miracles and healings, they assumed He did not care if they drowned. Even this upset though is not a great rebuke. Jesus was teaching as He always does. Have you no faith? Why do you fear? There is no instruction about not coming to Him with their fears or faith issues. In the aforementioned Gethsemane prayer, Jesus is facing the cross. He knows the suffering He is about to endure and in His humanity He cries out to God and says if possible take this cup from me. He did not interrogate God as to why this was the plan. He did not rebuke God for the pain He was about to bear. He petitioned the Lord and said not my will but yours be done. John Burton would have coached Him to suck it up and don't bother God with that!

"In the midst of storms, or at the point of decision, God may "sleep" (be unresponsive to our petitions) for at least a couple of reasons: 1.The storm or situation needs to play out. Possibly God is using the situation to help us reach our destination. The disciples were attempting to go across to the other side, and though the storm was threatening, was it possible that the winds would assist them in their journey? Maybe. 2. We are to stop the storm or make the decision ourselves. This is the scenario more often than we realize. It's extremely common for my wife and me to make decisions, to power through obstacles and deal with attack without nervously yelling for Jesus to wake up and come to the rescue. We've been granted authority to bring the resolution ourselves. Don't forget, this is only possible since we are in relationship with Jesus and we are submitted to his plan for our lives. It's possible that the disciples could have silenced the storm themselves. Jesus' stern reaction to them awakening him revealed that they needed to relax and know that all will be well, whether they rode the storm out or commanded it to end." -- John Burton

The man-centered theology is now being developed fully. God does not sleep nor does He delay in answering. What Burton misses here is that sometimes the answer is no, or not now. He is right with point number one. Sometimes God is still teaching us in the storm. That teaching however is produced through faith and prayer. It is forged by relying upon God when we need to the most -- not arrogantly thinking we can handle this one on our own. Point number two however is horrifically bad. We are to stop the storm? Really? So we have the same power now as Jesus to stand up and rebuke the storm? It sounds like someone wants to ascend to the throne of the Most High. Mr. and Mrs. Burton have been granted zero authority in this scenario. How ironic that he believes it is because he is in relationship with Jesus that He doesn't need Him. It was not possible for the disciples to silence the storm themselves. How do we know this? Because it is not in the story! Beloved this was a story about Jesus Christ -- not us. The earth is subject to God not to ourselves. Lastly here, the response of Jesus was not a stern reaction. It was a teachable moment for the disciples.

"But let him ask in faith, without wavering. For he who wavers is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed with the wind. Let not that man think that he will receive anything from the Lord. A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways (James 1:6-8). The disciples were afraid. They doubted. They were blown and tossed by the wind and the waves. If they would have responded in faith, the wind and the waves would have been under their command and would have either settled down or carried them exactly where they needed to go--to the other side. ""what kind of Man is He, that even the wind and the sea obey Him" (Mark 4:35-41). Instead of being asked, "Why are you so afraid?" people will be asking about us, "What kind of man [or woman] is [this]?" -- John Burton

Yes! This verse from James is the point! Jesus is saying ask in faith not in panicked unbelief. But we still must ask. Not relax in our bloated sense of self-importance and authority. Unfortunately, Burton then jumps the shark and usurps what belongs to God alone. We do not respond in faith to the storm. We respond in faith to God. Burton is teaching a very dangerous doctrine of devils here as old as recorded history. If you bite the fruit your eyes will be open and you will be like God. If you just respond in faith in yourself and your sense of authority then you too will be like God and the wind and waves will have to bow down to you as well. You will be so god-like, that the witnesses will not be asking about the sleeping Jesus. No. They will be asking what kind of man are you! That even the winds and waves obey you. Wow. To call this self-absorbed heresy is unfair to heresy.

"The passage indicates that there were other boats in the storm as well. The story most probably should have been quite different. With Jesus still asleep, those on the other boats would have pointed to the disciples and fearfully and joyfully asked with great passion, "Who then is this!"

The answer would have been remarkable as they directed everyone's attention to a sleeping savior. Jesus would receive all the glory and his power would have been undeniable--calming the storm as he slept, manifesting his plan through the authority of his followers." -- John Burton

Only in the wickedly deceitful heart of man can one think that people being amazed at us is giving glory to God. He does not need us to manifest His plans beloved. He is God alone.

"Knowing Our Authority Is Critical. It's important that I make it doubly clear that I in no way am attempting to say we are to advance without Jesus or without living a life of fervent prayer. We must be so intimately connected to Jesus on a continual basis, that our prayer shifts from mostly needy, clueless and concerned to mostly relational. We can pray in the Spirit, make decrees and declarations and legislate from a place of great strength and spiritual authority because of our life of relational prayer and intercession. Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases. 2 And He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick (Luke 9:1-2). When casting out demons or praying for the sick, we never have to go to God petitioning Him to deliver the oppressed or make the sick whole. Why? We can let God "sleep" and do it ourselves. We are to cast the demons out. We are to heal the sick." -- John Burton

As we are going long on time here some quick points. Burton is not suggesting that we live a life without fervent prayer? Then what is he suggesting? Leave Jesus sleeping and handle it yourself! Sounds like a life without fervent prayer. Once again we see the not so subtle shift and it deals with this false central teaching of relationship. It is this NAR, false authority, purpose driven crowd that teaches the relationship over religion heresy. The problem is the relationship is so loosely defined and is usually one of peers. Our relationship with God is supposed to be one of Lord and servant. Savior and wretch. Father and helpless child. To the Friend of God generation however this means you are needy, clueless and concerned. Beloved, we have zero authority to legislate, decree or declare anything! Who the heck does John Burton think he is? God; I think that is painfully obvious now. The story in Luke 9 is not a doctrinal text beloved. Jesus did not commission us that day. He gave the 12 these powers and only for that particular assignment. Yet look what a dangerous game John Burton plays here. He completely mangles Luke 9 and uses it to set people up for misery. He teaches them that because Jesus sent out the 12 that day, you too now can heal and cast demons out! No need to even ask Jesus for help! Let Him sleep! Reminds me of the games played by the seven sons of Sceva. They went around commanding demons to come out and one day the demons turned on them and beat them so badly they lost the very clothes they were wearing. We do not heal -- God heals. We do not deliver -- God does. Can He use us? Sure but not if we "let Him sleep" while we play god.

"We have been given authority over all the power of the enemy! Nothing shall hurt us. No storm is powerful enough! We can let Jesus sleep as we administer his truth and power in the world.

Instead of being called twisted and afraid, this generation will be looking on from their boats and ask, "Who then is this?" God is ready to promote you from a life of struggle to a life of power, peace, strength, confidence and breakthrough! Jesus might be sleeping, but he's not disconnected. He's waiting for you to manifest His peace and his power as you annihilate obstacles, calm waves, move mountains, heal the sick and set the captives free!" -- John Burton

Unless we want a demonic beat down that hasn't been seen since the days of Sceva, I suggest that we stay within the authority of Christ. It is His authority and not ours. We can see the dripping arrogance and distended sense of self-importance in this teaching. We have all power over the enemy! Jesus? Let Him sleep! I am going to be promoted! I can annihilate obstacles! I can calm to waves, move the mountains, heal the sick and set the captives free! Hallelujah!

I will ascend to the throne of the most high.

My eyes will be open and I will be like God, knowing good and evil.

I can command the wind and the waves, and administer the very power of God across this world.

It is the oldest temptation because it works.

Reverend Anthony Wade -- August 24, 2017

Authors Bio:
Credentialed Minister of the Gospel for the Assemblies of God. Owner and founder of 828 ministries. Vice President for Goodwill Industries. Always remember that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.